Playa Americas

Tenerife is to host next week the First Insular Meeting of Hotel and Apartment Receptionists with the aim of boosting the corporate spirit among “the elite force of tourist services”, according to the words of the councillor of tourism of the island, José Manuel Bermúdez, “to facilitate the exchange of information and create a network for these professionals to inform visitors about the tourist offer of the island”.
During a press conference, the vice president of the Council of Tenerife also said that “the idea is to offer to these tourism professionals the keys for the destination positioning, providing them sales arguments and the tools developed by Turismo de Tenerife to make their work easier and more effective, improving the quality of the information that receptionists offer to the tourists”.

According to Bermúdez, it is important for the receptionist to learn how to position Tenerife and let the tourists know the tourist model the island offers which is “beach and sun but presented in a more active way, offering a variety of activities apart from lying in the sand”.
The manager of Turismo de Tenerife, Alberto Bernabé, insisted on the promotion of the hotel and apartment receptionists as an “elite force” that assists tourists in destination with an equal level of quality like the one the information promoters associated to the Infotén network have since 2004.

On the other hand, the president of the Ashotel association, Fernando Cabrera, said that the first contact the tourist has with the hotel is through its receptionist, and for that reason, it is essential for these professionals to be trained in the philosophy of “client’s full satisfaction”.
The event will take place next Monday 28th of June, at the Taoro Conventions Center in Puerto de la Cruz, and it will continue on Tuesday 29th at the Cleopatra Hotel (Mare Nostrum) in Arona. Each event will take four hours, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

This First Insular Meeting of Hotel and Apartment Receptionists has three core subjects. The first one is the tourist model of the island for the positioning of Tenerife in the market and its local identity. The second one is the communications platform Turismo de Tenerife has developed, which includes “Infoturismo Tenerife”, the online reservations platform, the promotional brochures, the “Infotén” network, the calendar of events, the inland promotional campaign, and the “Tenerife Mobile” service. The third theme will be discussed during a debate about “Receptionists as flagship of the destination image”.

The hospitality association of La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro, known as Ashotel,
released today at the Council of Tenerife hall, the fourth edition of the Ashotel Charity
Golf Tournament, which will take place at the Costa Adeje Golf Course next 3rd of
July, with the participation of about 150 players.
The ceremony for the presentation of this tournament counted with the presence of the
councillor of Tourism of the island, José Manuel Bermúdez, the president of Ashotel,
José Fernando Cabrera, and the major of the municipality of Adeje, José Miguel
Rodríguez Fraga.
The tournament, which inscription fee is 55 euros, will have a Stableford system, with
three men categories and one women category. The winners will receive a solid beach
cup and there will be a special trophy for the Ashotel associates.
Hole in one will be also awarded with a cruise for two, and new this year is the prize for
the straightest swing.
This fundraising tournament is made with the aim of helping the ‘Centro de Atención
a la Discapacidad de Los Olivos’ (Los Olivos Disabilities Attention Center) and
the ‘Residencia de Mayores y Centro de Día de Adeje’ (Senior Residential and Day
Care of Adeje), which work is been highly appreciated by the community of Adeje.
José Manuel Bermúdez congratulated Ashotel for being one of the most socially
responsible business associations organizing every year different charity and
fundraising events.
On the other hand, José Miguel Rodríquez Fraga, highlighted the relevance of this golf
tournament that makes the island an attractive tourist destination for gold tournaments.
The president of Ashotel, José Fernando Cabrera, showed his satisfaction for the good
reception the Ashotel Charity Golf Tournament is having among the participants, being
by now a consolidated event.
The cocktail and awards ceremony will take place at the Costa Adeje Golf Course
at 7.30 p.m. Besides, there will be prize drawings including stays at hotels and other
surprises.

“Formasur” is the first business training platform to be settled in the southern region
of Tenerife. After three days of functioning, it already counts with more than 5
thousand business registered, according to the information provided by the Chamber of
Commerce.
All the necessary information related to business management the business community
from south Tenerife requires, can be found on one single digital platform that can be
easily accessed by e-mail.
This online tool has been put under way thanks to the combined effort of the Council
of Tenerife, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation from Santa Cruz
de Tenerife, Ashotel (hotel owners association), “Circulo de Empresarios del Sur”
(association of businessmen from the south) and Fyde-CajaCanarias (CajaCanarias bank
found).
This online tool presents a list of the training courses the member entities offer, as well
as the training opportunities the councils provide and the business associations and
institutions that provide support to the business community.
In fact, the municipality of Arona, has already included some activities form their
training program in this platform, and soon the municipalities of Adeje, Guía de Isora,
Granadilla and Santiago del Teide among others will join this initiative.
Vicente Dorta Antequera, chief director of the Chamber of Commerce, said that the
Formasur platform is essential to increase the possibilities of growing and sustainability
of the business in the south of Tenerife, because “it promotes the updating of the
human resources of companies and professionals, improving their abilities and skills
to face any variation in the socioeconomic environment and introducing the necessary
innovation to maintain their competitiveness”.
According to Dorta, this digital platform plays a main role in the economy of the
island because of the relevance the businesses of the southern region have. In fact,
the companies located in the south of Tenerife represent the 34% of the total business
community of the island. Only in Arona, Adeje, Granadilla and San Miguel there are
more than 19 thousand companies operating.
Formasur includes a wide range of courses and workshops for the tourist and
commercial industries which represent the 53% of the business in south Tenerife.

Baltazar Garzón, former magistrate of the Spanish National High Court, will be opening
the XVIII edition of the Summer University of Adeje next 17th of July at a convent
located in this municipality of Tenerife.
The subject for this year is “Biodiversity” and the activities will be held at the Cultural
Center of Adeje from 19th to 30th of July.
The information was released by Epifanio Díaz, council’s representative in charge of
the education, culture, heritage and arts promotion department of this municipality,
who said that “the presence of the magistrate supposes an added value for the summer
courses edition of this year”.
For this councilman, the presence of the magistrate will “attract the attention” to this
university that “is growing in terms of facilities with the construction of new classrooms
and in terms of quality, because its educational offer has broaden”.
The Summer University of Adeje started in 1992 as a result of an agreement between
the Council of Adeje and the La Laguna University.

The local population of the municipality of Adeje in Tenerife, made more recycling after a local recycling campaign entitled “Podemos, Adeje Recicla” (Yes we can, Adeje recycles) conducted by the city council.
The information submitted by the concessionary company in charge of the recycling containers system, Ascan Torrabonaf, showed that in the first half of 2010, yellow container’s collection (plastic packs and aluminium cans) had increased in 9.22 tons in relation with the previous year, going from 106,320 to 115,540 tons.

With regards to cardboard, they registered an increase of 47 tons in comparison with the first five months of the year 2009 when 463,010 tons were collected form the blue containers. Glass collection had less growth because it is the most recycled material since the implementation of this service, having an insignificant growth from year to year. The green container used for glass collection had an increase of 7 tons since 2009, being 568,900 tons in the first half of 2010.

The Public Works and Infrastructure councillor, Gonzalo Delgado, said that in spite of their satisfaction for the results “there’s still a long way to go”. About the yellow containers he said that “people have to improve their plastic packages and aluminium cans recycling, because these materials are the most contaminant for the environment. Besides, plastic and aluminium are the most common wastes of a household, being quite above glass or paper and even organic wastes”, he said.
The awareness campaign “Podemos, Adeje Recicla” is on progress now, and to the present moment there have been carried out information and awareness initiatives through advertising spots, as well as direct initiatives taken by the citizens. More than one thousand people have attended meetings held by the city council where they have received information and special containers for recycling at home.

The Council of Tenerife will put under way eleven projects of international cooperation for a total of 3,745,595 euros in the framework of the second call of the “Programa Transnacional Madeira-Azores-Canarias 2007-2013”, an initiative intended to promote and co-finance cooperative projects among public entities located in Canarias, Madeira, Azores and entities located in third party countries situated in the geographical surroundings (Northwest Africa and Latin America).

The content of these projects was announced this morning during a press conference that counted with the presence the insular councillor of Economy and Competitiveness, Carlos Alonso, and de councillor of Economic Development and Employment, Efraín Medina; Social Welfare, Cristina Valido, Community Safety, Manuel Ortega, and the Autonomous Museums and Centres Institute, Francisco García-Talavera.

During the conference, Carlos Alonso explained that from the total inversion of 16 million euros, the insular corporation will receive more than 2.6 million euros to get under way eight projects in which the insular council will act as a promoter and, at the same time, will take part in other three projects as associate with an investment over one million euros.
The responsible for the Economy and Competitiveness department, said that this set of projects is intended to promote the economic cooperation between neighbour countries and above all, to foster the services sector of the economy. The projects also include the boost of the competitiveness and the internalization of Tenerife’s economy as labour niche and the development of the service sectors dedicated to the international market.

Regarding the main goal the strategy of the program pursuits, it consists on the increase in the levels of development and socioeconomic integration of the three archipelagos, through the promotion of the knowledge or information society, the sustainable economic development, and the improvement in the levels of socioeconomic integration and cooperation with the countries located in the geographical and cultural surroundings.
About the content of the projects, the responsible for the OAMC, Francisco García-Talavera, introduced the project “Plinio 21” that is centred in the creation of a database and the spreading of the natural history of the “Macaronesia” (group of archipelagos located in the north Atlantic Ocean in front of Africa) through the technology the information society provides. The main goal is to link and integrate the present and potentially dispersed contents related to the natural history of the Azores, Madeira, Salvaje, Canarias and Cabo Verde, though a web site that would become the reference source for the information about the natural heritage of the Macaronesia.
In the framework of this program, the activities that will be put under way include a project for the equipment of the libraries and documents centers in the Macaronesia, specially the Nature and Man Museum library located in the capital of Tenerife. Likewise, the project includes a found for documents and bibliography acquisition and for the creation of an encyclopaedia and a virtual library of the Macaronesia. The final stage would be the planning of an international congress about the natural history of the region.

Meanwhile, the Social Welfare councillor of Tenerife, Cristina Valido, said that her department will put under way through the “Sociedad Insular para la Promocion de las Personas con Discapacidad – Sinpromi” (Insular Society for the Development of People with Disabilities) a project intended to improve the access of people with disabilities to the job market in Tenerife and Cabo Verde. This projects counts with a budget of 316,268 euros.

Other Programs
On the other hand, through the Employment, Commerce and Economic Development department managed by Efraín Medina, it will be implemented a project with the intention to promote Pymes ( small and medium sized companies) thought online and on-site training courses to improve their competitiveness. This project counts with a budget of 242,238 euros.
As well, the Community Safety department has submitted a project which will count with a budget of 418,800 euros for the creation of “Formared”, an educational web to improve the efficiency of the fire fighting services and rescue services in the activation of resources and response to disasters.
The “Instituto Tecnológico de Energías Renovables” (Technologic Institute for Renewable Energies), has awarded two projects, one of them in Cabo Verde for the implementation of the Makayol program, which consists on the creation of a prevention net for volcanic risk in the Macaronesia area which counts with a budget of 580,550 euros. The same way, the ITER will develop a project in Senegal for technological transference and technical training to implement renewable energy systems as part of the electric supply, counting with a budget of 285,855 euros.

About zoning, the Tourism and Territorial Planning department will continue in Senegal with the project for the updating of the geographical information system plan in the municipality of Saint Luis, having a budget of 91,210 euros. Regarding agriculture, a project for the rescue, classification and optimization of the oenology potential of native grapevine varieties in Canarias, Madeira and Cabo Verde will be carried out, having a budget of 565,250 euros.

The Government of Spain and the regional Government of Canarias have agreed to put under way the “Programa de Turismo Senior Europa” (Senior Tourism Europe Program) for the 2011 season (from 25th of April to 30th of June), having a budget of 1.9 million euros, which will be financed in equal parts by these entities. Through this agreement both administrations will provide a discount on 15,000 airplane seats to travel to the archipelago.

Miguel Sebastián and Paulino Rivero, together with Rita Martín and Joan Mesquida, signed yesterday two collaboration agreements. As it was informed by Hosteltur last 7th of June, this project will be developed in Canarias with the goal of “fighting against seasonality and to create more job opportunities in the tourist area”.

Yesterday, the Industry, Tourism and Commerce Minister, Miguel Sebastián, and the president of the Canarias Government, Paulino Rivero, signed the agreement to put under way the program in the archipelago.
According to the information provided by the Industry, Tourism and Commerce Ministry, “the program will count with an initial number of 15,000 seats with discount for the 2011 season. This has a cost of 1,700,000 euros. To this initial amount it has to be added 200,000 euros which is the cost of the insurance, which will be financed in equal parts by Turespaña and the Canarias government”.

The beneficiaries of the Senior Tourism Europe Program shall be above 55 years old, and be residents of the European Union.

The tourist who will visit Canarias under this program will come from Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria, because these markets are not exploited yet.
The offer will include three and four stars hotels located in Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.

Pilot Project
The Senior Tourism Europe Program is a pilot project that was put under way last year and it is developed in the framework of the “Acción Preparatoria CALYPSO de la Comisión Europea”.

Through this program, the governments of different countries provide travel discounts for the European citizens above 55 years old during low season, including “a complete program of cultural activities”.

On the other hand, Sebastián and Rivero signed yesterday another agreement for the improvement of the tourist areas in Canarias. This agreement counts with an investment of 30 million euros for the year 2010.

Several hotel owners of the southern region of Tenerife have explained to the PP party the situation lived at the beginning of the year and the concern about the “insecurity and poor image “the two canyons located in the southern part of the island offer to the tourists”.

The council members of Adeje had a meeting with several hotel directors of this municipality last week, to discuss the situation of the canyons “Barranco del Agua” and the “Barranco del Inglés”, in the area where they cross the main road that communicates La Enramada and El Beril towns with the rest of the island. The hotels representatives showed their concern about the possibility of new overflows like the ones occurred in February that cut off the traffic in the highway isolating the tourists who where staying at the different hotels in the region.
The meeting counted with the presence of the waters department councillor of the Council of Tenerife, Pedro Suaréz, and the councillor delegate of the south shire, Felíx Sierra, the representatives of the H10 hotels of Adeje, the Sheraton Hotel, and the Riu Arecas Hotel.
In relation with this matter, the president and spokesman of the PP party in Adeje, Andrés Montiel, said that “we are all aware that adverse climate situations like the one we had last February when the intense rain interrupted the traffic in the San Sebastián highway cannot be foreseen. However, we can work together to prevent a new traffic interruption in the highway if this situation occurs again”.

“A tourist municipality like Adeje has to learn from this experience and take care of the situations that can put in jeopardise our image. Therefore, the PP party has taken part in this situation and has promoted the visit of the councillors to take note of our requests and submit them to the insular Council”.

On the other hand, the waters department councillor, Pedro Suárez, explained to the participants to this meeting that “a project for this area has been drafted, which consists on the construction of a bridge over the “Barranco del Agua” what would prevent at first, the interruption in the communications by land when heavy rains occur. However, this project is not approved yet, and we do not have the necessary financial support to execute this project here and at the Barranco del Inglés”.
Likewise, the councillor delegate of the south shire, Féliz Sierra, encouraged the council of Adeje, and specially the Tourism department, to pay attention to any possible improvement they can make, and to look for any available financing program to make the necessary woks to prevent this situation, “because we are talking about one of the most important municipalities in the southern area of the island as far as tourism activity is concerned. The government of Canarias has already made important efforts to assign a 6 million budget for this year for the renewal of public and tourist areas, and it has committed to increase the budget to 30 million euros for the year 2014”.

The beach-volley teams from Tenerife and Gran Canaria (14 and 15 years old bracket) dominated the Canarias Beach-Volley Tournament that finished this weekend in the municipality of Adeje, located in the southern region of Tenerife, after three days of competition.

The final of the men category brought together two teams from Tenerife, obtaining the team number one the victory 2-0 (21-10 and 22-10). Meanwhile, the play for the third place brought together La Gomera and Gran Canaria teams; the first one won the game 2-0 (21-11 and 22-20).
Lanzarote obtained the fifth place defeating “Gran Canaria II” 1-2 (22-20, 12-21 and 4-15). Fuerteventura ended in 7th place after defeating El Hierro 0-2 (14-21 and 13-21).

Women competition had as finalists the team from Gran Canaria who defeated the team from Tenerife 2-0 (21-0 and 21-0). On the other hand, La Gomera obtained the third place after wining the game against Fuerteventura 2-1 (21-19, 20-22 and 15-8).

The fifth place belongs to La Palma, who defeated Lanzarote 2-1 (19-21, 21-13 and 15-10) while El Hierro obtained the 7th place after the play that brought this team together with Gran Canaria II. The score was 2-0 (21-18 and 21-16).

The men and women teams that obtained the first places have qualified for the upcoming Beach-Volley Tournament of Spain in the 17 years old bracket.

The Council of Tenerife presented the official announcement with regards to the creation of a cluster to promote tourist innovation in the island. This cluster is formed by innovative business owners in the tourist area, which have as main goal to improve the competitiveness of the tourist industry in the island.
The Council of Tenerife informed on a press release that the signature of the foundational minutes of this association took place at the city hall, and after identifying the innovation needs of the area, the cluster elaborated a strategic plan based on projects that present an innovative perspective on tourism for the island.

The board of directors of this new business innovation association will be formed by María Dolores Rodríguez de Azero as president and representative of “Pueblo Chico”, Enrique González as vice-president and representative of the “Hotel Rural Victoria”, Rosana Parra as secretary, who is also director of the innovation department of “Turismo de Tenerife”, and Eduardo Dávila as treasurer, who is also innovation coordinator of the “Fundación Empresa – Univerisdad De la Laguna”. The members will be Fernando Schölfeldt from the “La Casa de los Balcones”, Juan Antonio Jiménez from “Autos Jocar” and Pablo González from “Ashotel”.

Besides, this cluster has received the support of entities such as “Turismo de Tenerife”, “Fundación Empresa” from La Laguna University, “Tenerife Calidad Turística” Association, “Monje” wineries, “Cardón” Tourism and Environment, “Ruta del Vino Tacoronte – Acentejo” Association, “Viajes Plaza” travel agency and “Europcar” car rental.
This innovative business association is addressed to the hostelry and leisure business of Tenerife, including travel agencies, car rentals and any other company that offers tourist services to consumers.

The fourteen founder members of this cluster will count with the support and financial assistance of the “Cabildo TF Innova” program, through annual calls for financial aids to promote the creation and development of tourist business as a tool for economic growth and insular development. The Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry will also provide assistance for the development of this cluster.

This way, the initiative will provide a platform to this economic sector for the development of I+D+I projects in a collaborative way within the island, including companies from different areas of the tourist industry, and entities that will support these associations with the necessary knowledge to obtain more business competitiveness.

The strategy for this project will be centred on the development of initiatives related to sustainability, customer relationships and the improvement of the tourist product, having as guidelines innovation and training. Based on these strategies, the cluster will work for the following four years in three main areas: the improvement of the business competitiveness, the improvement of the tourist industry and tourist offer in Tenerife, and the collaboration and cooperation between the different actors of this area. Besides, it will also manage another eleven lines of work.